The Brookhaven leader., 1887-07-21
HORRIBLE ACCIDENT.


and Burning oil Add to the Horrors of
the CaIamIty-Many OF the Victims
Incinerated.
ST. THOMAS. July 1G One Of the most
appalling disasters which ever happened
in Western Ontario occurred at fifteen
minutes after seven o'clock last
evening, at the crossing Of the Michigan
Central and the London Il Port Stanley
railway, resulting in the loss OF nineteen
lives and the INJURY of over forty other
persons, three or four fatally. A special
east bound Michigan Central freight train
was pulling out of the yard as the regu-
lar excursion train from Port Stanley ap.
preached with ten coaches literally pack
ed with residents Of this city and
London. Engineer Harry Donnelly
was IN charge of the Port Stanley
train. As he was crossing the bridge, he
noticed, as the fireman states, that the
Semaphore was closed against him. As he
approached Wellington street he applied
the air brakes, but they were useless and
refused to work He then whistled for
brakes and reversed his en- gine, but as the
lever was what is known as "screw
lever" some time was occupied in revers-
ing it. From Wellington street to the
crossing the tram ran with engine re-
alarmed pedestrians and passengers alike,
and that a collision was unavoidable was
evident The passengers commenced
emerging from car widows, and every
available means of egress was taken al
vantage Of The majority of the passen-
gers in the car next to the engine had got
out when the engine plunged into the
Michigan Central freight train. Engineer
Donnelly could be seen in the cab with
his hand on the lever still endeavoring to
make the air brakes work.
As if fate was linked to add addi-
tional horror to an already sufficiently
appalling affair the section of the freight
train into which the engine of the pas.
senger train plowed, consisted OF two
cars containing tanks filled with crude
oil and one car loaded with barrels OF re-
fined oil. and almost before the passengers
heard the crash Of the collision it was fol-
lowed by a tremendous explosion which
could be heard for miles. A pyramid Of
red fire and black clouds of smoke
lowered up IN the air, and in moment
sheets of fire reached ont and enveloped
the cars, dwellings and warehouses in
the vicinity.
When the engine struck the oil tanks,
it tore the man hole from the top, and bu t
a moment elapsed before the oil was in a
blaze and the roaring Of the flames could
be heard all over the city.
Then shot up a column Of flames
through the black smoke and cinders that
was visible twenty-five miles away, ac-
companled by roar overpowering all
other sounds. The burning oil was scat
tered around in all dire ections, setting fire
TO Grifin's coal and salt warehouses, j.
L. Campbell's dwelling and warehouse
and other structures in the vicinity, de-
strying all of these, involving loss OF
about $4,000.
The eight-year-old son of A. Cattlay
was a living mass Of flames. He can not
recover
Charles Chisholm. r. Utson, John Ster-
ling, Allie and Archie Noteworthy, Thos.
Johnston, Thos. Doherty, I. McCallum,
Martha Lamery, Frank Queen, Charles
Dake, j. A. Norman and scores OF others
were painfully burned by the blazing oil,
many of them fatally.
Hon A. Francis was struck by hose
reel and terribly Injured. His recovery
is doubtful.
The following bodies have been recog
nized:
H. Donnelly, engineer of the excursion
train.
]. Smither. wife and daughter.
Herman Ponsford of the fire depart
ment, was literally encircled by a cloud
of flames, and when the smoke cleared
away it was seen that from head to foot
he was a living mass of flames. He was
promptly wrapped in clothes and the
flaming remnants OF his vest and trousers
were torn from his blazing body, exhibit
ing the cooked flesh beneath. His in
juries are of a horrible nature and he
i can not recover.
Chief Walbourne was seriously burned
about the head and face.
John McKellar was burned badly about
face and hands.
w. Jeffers, face and hands.
Nelson Gadsby, ears and head.
P. Reath, badly burned on the face and
arms.
Ed. Moore, burned on the face and
hands.
Engineer Joyce, of the Grand Trunk
road, was mass of flames. His clothing
was stripped from his body by willing
hands, and he was taken home in a cab.
/ A. Zealand and daughter.
Mrs. W. H. King, who, with her three
children, was in the car next to the en-
! gine, tells a vivid story of the wreck This
was the only car wrecked, and it was con
seQuently in this car that the victims who
| were incinerated were riding Mrs King
! states that the train ran unusually fast
/ from Port Stanley, lady who was in the
| car stating that the time occupied was
| but fifteen minutes. At Wellington
street, Mrs. King noticed that the trair
| slackened speed somewhat, butit was not
until the train was opposite Elizabeth
/ at
/ thing wrong. She was looking ou
of the window and observed the Michigan
! Central freight train. For a moment she
thought the train had been side-trackeC
! to allow the passenger train to pass
through, but on looking out of the oppo
site window she saw that her first i'm
preston was incorrect, and that a COLI
sion was about to take place. About a!
soon as she realized this fact the crasl
came. The engine of the passenger traiI
parted the freight and the rear section o
the latter crashed INTO the passenge
train. The utmost confusion at onct
| arose, and the shr;eks of the women ant
children were heartrending. A momen
later flames broke out. Mr.. A. B. Rem.
and Mr.. A. A. Dake at once rescued Mrs
King and Mrs. Wegg and their children
through the windows, and others clam
bered through the remaining windows.
Alex Watson, Grand Trunk Railwa.
brakeman, was blown up in the air b.
the explosion, and has his color bon'
broken.
A. Chudley was run over by a hos
reel and had his leg broken.
Starvation in Liberia.
COLUMBIA, S. c., July 16.--Letters ar
frequently received here from many o
the colored people who emigrated fror